Curtain-pole and ring therefor.



Patented Aug. 22, I899.

J. W. LESLIE.

CURTAIN POLE AND RING THEREFOR.

(Application filed Feb. 19, 1896. Renewed Dec. 19, 1898J (No Model.)

mbwsses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. LESLIE, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CURTAlN -POLE AND RING THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,726, dated August 22, 1899. Application filed February 19, 1896. Renewed December 19, 1898. Serial No. 699,754. (No model.)

To ail whomtt may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. LEsLIE, of Melrose, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Curtain-Poles and Rings Therefor, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to supporting-poles for portieres, curtains, and the like and to the rings for use in connection with said pole.

Prior to my invention it has been customary to provide poles of this class with rings having one or more rollers adapted to travel on the upper surface of the pole; but in practice much difficulty has been found in keeping the rings out of lateral contact with the pole as the rings are drawn along the pole, this being largely due to the proximity of the upper portion of the ring or of the carriertherefor to the surface of the pole.

To obviate this difficulty, mypresent in vention comprehends a pole provided at its upper side with a longitudinal'raised track, comprising a single rail or a plurality of rails, as they may be called, and preferably formed by raising or crimping the material with which the pole is covered, the ring or rings traveling on the track, said rings being thus raised from the pole and maintained out of lateral contact therewith.

In connection with a pole embodying my invention I contemplate employing rings having shoulders or stops arranged at opposite sides the raised track on the pole to preventlateral movement of the rings on said track These rings and with relation to the pole. may also be provided with rollers to travel on said track, although my present invention enables me to employ rings without rollers, yet capable of operation with as little friction or draft as the rings with rollers.

My invention also comprehends a novel.

manner of holding the ring-rollers in position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric sectional view showing a pole, ring, and socket embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation, partially broken away, of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an isometric the edges of which are shown 'as locked together in a longitudinal line at a as is customary in covered poles used for this purpose at the present time.

In accordance with my invention I have provided the pole A at its upper side with a raised track 1), shown as formed in and by the covering material a, the latter being preferably crimped, folded, or rolled over a support or rod 19.

The ring 0 may be of any suitable or desired construction, it being herein shown as provided at its top with a roller 0 and preferably provided with stops 0 formed in a suitable manner and arranged at opposite sides of the track!) to prevent lateral vibration of the ring on its said track.

In accordance with my invention the roller 0 of the ring is inserted in a novel manner, best understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, wherein the ring, of a construction similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is partially broken away. The roller-journals c are j on rnaled, respectively, in the enlarged ends of U-shaped clips 0 inserted from the top of the ring into a pocket 0 formed in the ring and shown as extended through to the inner side of the ring, providing the stops 0 referred to. The short or outer legs of these clips 0 are inserted from the top of the ring through slits 0 in the latter, and are afterward clenched at the under side, as shown at c, Fig. 3, by means of a hand-tool inserted from the inner side of the ring through an aperture 0 provided thereat. To insert the roller in the ring, one of the clips 0 is first clenched in position, as shown inFig. 3, and the roller placed in position with one of its journals in the bearing in said clip. The other clip is now inserted, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3, and in full lines, Fig. 4, and when the hole in the clip is oppositethe end of the journal on the roller said clip is turned down into final position,zcausingthe journal to enter the hole referred to in said clip, after which its short leg, which, when the clip is turned down into the slits c, is

clutched as described,vthus providing a con venient means for inserting and removing the rollers.

The socket which I contemplate using in connection with my improved pole is illustrated at d, it being provided with a central opening to receive the end of the pole-and recessed at d at one side to receive the raised track on the pole, said track cooperating with said recess to restrain the pole against lateral movement-in its socket or sockets.

" One of the principal advantages attained by the use of a raised track is thatthe rings .cooperating with the pole may be provided with stop-surfaces,as described, to act upon the-track and prevent the ring vibrating laterally and thereby coming into contact .withdhe sides of the pole, it having been 1 furtherobviated or prevented by reason of found that this frequent contact of the traveling ring with the sidesiof the pole soon mars and otherwiseinjures the pole, greatly disfiguring it. This lateral contact is also the raising of the ring or the part thereof d proxiznity to the. polein other words, the ring when arranged upon the pole is nearly- Which is nearest the pole away from close or quite concentric to the pole, sothat it a must swing through a much greater distance in either direction-beforecontacting with the pole than is the case with aringwhich atits .upper side is supported close to thepole,

while at its lowerside it drops to aconsiderable distance awayfrom the pole.

Another advantage derived by my invention is that the track, whether-presenting one ormore rails orlines' of contact, presents such Y a -small surfacecontact to the ring that a ring :of theold-construction, without rollers, may

be drawn along the pole with practically as little friction or resistance as is found with i the roller-rings so commonly employed on or} dinary cylindrical poles, this reduction of gfriction being also due to entire absence of 5 frictional contact of the ring-with the poleii .:In Fig. 3 Ihave shown the trackv as comjposedof a flat strip bent to present a pair of.

rails e e, the track being inserted in and held ,by the slit in the pole, which receives the edges-of the covering mate-rial for the pole. My-invention is not limited to the particu} lar embodiment herein shown, for it is evi dent thesame may be varied without depart}- .ing from the spirit and scope of my in-ventiong. 6o

I claim- 1'. The herein-described covered curtain}- pole, having its covering material raised 1011- gitudinally of the pole and projecting radially. therefrom at one side of the latter to present a raisedetrack, and a support interposed between the said covering material and pole to support said raised track from within, sub.- stantially as described.

2. The combination with a curtain-pole provided with a raised track, of a ring adapted to travel thereon, and provided with lateral stops to cooperate with said track to restrain the ring against excessive lateral movement, substantially as described.

' 3. The combination with a curtain-pole pro vided with a raised track, of a ring therefor provided with a roller adapted to travel on said track, and having. lateral stops coopervroller within said p'ocketandexposed at said opening, andbearing-clips independent but secured to said ring and in which said roller is journaled, substantially as described.

1 '7. The'Within-desoribed curtain-ring pro vided with a-pocket-openi-ng atthe-exterior and. interior of the ring, aroller arranged in said pocket and exposedthrough said-interior opening, and bearing-clipsinserted in said pockets fromthe outside of the ring and in which said roller. is journaled, said bear ing clips being provided with legs inserted throughsaid ring and secured within the latter, substantially as described.

8-. The within-described curtain-ring pro vided with a pocket-opening .at the exterior and interior of the ring, a roller arranged in said pocket, bearing-clipsinserted: in said pocket and in :WhlCh saidroller is journaled,

holding-legs on said clips inserted through said ring and clenched inside the latter, and apertures opposite said clenched legs forzin sertion of a clenching-tool, substantially as described. p i

9. The-within-described curtain-ring provided with apocket-opening: both at the exterior and interior ofthe ring, the exterior opening of. said pocket being of sufficient size to admit of introduction of the roller, the interior opening .of said pocket being of a smaller size to expose a portion only of said roller, the roller, and bearings for and to retain the samein position in said pocket, substantially. as described.

10. The within-described curtain-ring provided with a pocket-opening at the inside of the ring, the ends of said opening furnishing stops as described, aroller Within said pocket name to this specification inthe presence of and exposed at and within said opening, and two subscribing witnesses. independent bearing-clips one at either end of said roller secured to said ring and in JAMES LESLIE 5 which said roller is journaled, substantially Witnesses:

as described. FREDERICK L. EMERY, In testimony whereof I have signed my JOHN C. EDWARDS; 

